AAO members joined together in grassroots advocacy last week, standing up against bullying and supporting youth mental health.
On October 22, in recognition of Unity Day,the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, AAO members were invited to contact their Members of Congress in support of the bipartisan Youth Mental Health Research Act. This bill would establish a Youth Mental Health Research Initiative within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The initiative would dedicate $100 million annually to advance research and develop new social, behavioral, and developmental treatments for children and adolescents.
This effort expanded the AAO’s ongoing commitment to promoting safe and healthy environments for young people. Now in its seventh year partnering with Stand for the Silent, the AAO continued its Bullying Bites campaign this month to raise awareness and encourage kindness, inclusion, and respect in schools and communities.
By uniting their voices with outreach to lawmakers, AAO members helped amplify the organization’s advocacy on Capitol Hill, strengthening efforts to ensure that children and teens have access to the mental health resources they need to thrive.
Thank you to all members who took part in this important advocacy effort! If you haven’t already done so, you can send a note to your Members of Congress in one click.
Your engagement makes a difference — not only through grassroots action, but also through your support of the AAO Political Action Committee (AAOPAC). AAOPAC empowers orthodontists’ collective voice in Washington, helping the AAO build relationships with lawmakers and advance policies that are important to orthodontists and their patients.
You can make your 2025 contribution now at www.aaopac.org.
